Beyond All Odds
by Hamato Kameko
Summary: AU based on Sonic X, OC - Kianna Thorndyke drops a bombshell on Sonic, and the hedgehog doesn't know how to react. NOTICE: "Beyond All Odds" is NOT canon to Ki the Echidna's storyline; this is a what-if story.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2010 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2010 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**NOTICE:** "_Beyond All Odds_" is **no longer canon** to "_My Life: Anything But Ordinary_." They are **completely separate** storylines. "_Beyond All Odds_" is now a stand-alone "what if" story _only_. (01-01-2010)

* * *

Everything seemed unreal, otherworldly. Ki followed Ella into the house, walking, as if on autopilot, into the living room. She felt as if she would collapse at any moment. Ella set a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I think you'd better sit down, sweetheart. You look like you're about to pass out."

The girl nodded numbly, letting the maid guide her to the couch. She sat, not a moment too soon, and closed her eyes. Her life was over. If not over, at the very least it was no longer hers. Her whole world had once again been turned upside down. She couldn't begin to imagine how Sonic would react when he found out. _'What will he do? Will he be angry? Will he be happy?'_ The knowledge that she had to tell him only served to increase her own fright.

She silently accepted a glass of water from the human woman that had offered so much support to her in the last few hours. She sipped the water, only then realized how thirsty she was. She emptied the glass and nodded her thanks as Ella refilled it for her.

"What am I gonna do, Ella? I don't know anything about this kind of stuff..."

Ella sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. "It'll be all right, sweetie. And I'll be here to help, so don't you worry."

Ki blinked back tears. "Thank you, Ella... for everything. You've done so much already..."

"Shhh... It's okay, don't worry about it. You're going to do just fine, I know you will."

"What's wrong?" Ki jolted at the sound of a third voice in the room. She turned to face a concerned pink hedgehog. The dam gave way, and she found herself crying yet again.

Amy furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong? Ki? ...Ella, what's going on?"

Ki mumbled something unintelligible, and Ella frowned. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't really her place to tell Amy or anyone else about Ki's situation, and yet it was hardly something that could be kept hidden. She only hoped the thirteen-year-old was as much over her infatuation with Sonic as she claimed to be. She started to speak, but the echidna beat her to it.

Ki took a deep breath and spoke in a shaky voice. "Amy... remember... remember when I told you Sonic and I were spending a lot of time together? That... that we were getting kinda serious?"

Amy's jaw set rigid, but that was the only sign of her lingering jealousy over the blue hedgehog. "Yeah...?"

The yellow-furred echidna was intently studying the fabric of her jeans. She was having trouble forming the words she needed. "I... we..."

"I'm pregnant."


	2. Chapter 1, Confession

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary: **Ki confronts Sonic about her pregnancy.

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**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter I: Confession  
**

Amy gaped at the other girl, unable to believe her ears. "P-pregnant?? B-but... You're only sixteen! And you're an echidna, and Sonic's a hedgehog! How's that possible??"

"Shhh! Amy, shut up, please! You want everyone in the house to hear you??"

"Too late." They turned to face the doorway, where Tails stood, looking concerned, if a little surprised. Cream and Cheese were right behind him, Cream wearing a confused expression. Cheese, as always, hovered; the irritating squeak of the chao's wings was only sound in the now silenced room.

Ki wanted nothing more than to disappear; to melt into the couch cushions. She drew her legs up against her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. "Great. Now everyone knows I-- I..." She tried, and failed, to hold back yet another wave of tears.

Ella tried to comfort her. "It's alright, Ki... you made a mistake, and I know it hurts... But you know, they would have found out eventually..."

"...I know... it's just..." She shook her head and gave up trying to speak.

For several minutes, nobody said anything. Finally, Cream, unable to wait any longer, spoke up with the innocent curiosity of a child. "Ki, you're gonna have a baby? Why are you so sad?"

The echidna looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I..." She sighed. "You'll understand when you're older."

Cream wrinkled her nose at the all-too-familiar phrase, but responded with a simple, "Okay."

Ki had only just managed to get her tears back under control when the outside door opened.

"Hi Gu-- ... Ki?" Sonic was by her side in a flash. "What's wrong? Are you all right? Ki?"

Ella gave Ki a reassuring pat on the back and stood, motioning to the others. "I think we'd better let them talk, kids. Come on." She led them out of the room, and with one last glance at the couple, closed the door behind her.

"Ki...? Ki, what's going on? Say something, please? Are you hurt? Are you mad at me? Ki??"

The echidna choked back another round of sobs and turned to face him. "It-- no, it's nothing like that. Not really... Oh, Sonic..."

Sonic wrapped his arms around her, protectively. "It's okay... Please tell me what's wrong..."

"Sonic... I..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. _"You're going to be a father."_

He pulled back and stared at her, uncomprehending. When Ki saw his expression, she tried again. "Sonic, I-I'm pregnant."

The blood drained from his face and he shook his head, stuttering, "Wh-what are you talking about? You're-- But that's not possible, Ki. It's not possible..." He seemed to be trying to convince himself, as if repeating it enough times would make it true.

Ki raised her voice somewhat, her tears turning to ones of frustration. "Well apparently it _is_ possible, Sonic, because I _am_ pregnant!"

He continued to shake his head in shock. "N-no... It's not possible, it's _not_... It _can't_ be..."

She finally snapped. "It _IS_ possible, _Sonic__!!!"_ As he continued his denial, she grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him violently. "GOD DAMMIT, CAN'T YOU GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK FUCKING HEAD??? _I AM PREGNANT,WITH **YOUR** CHILD!!!"_

He pulled out of her grip and stood up, taking a step away from her. "I--" His voice cracked, and he took another step backward. "I-I'm sorry..." He started to turn towards the door. "_I'M SORRY!!!_"

He was gone.

Ki was alone.

She curled up on the couch, crying harder than ever.

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	3. Chapter 2, Biology Lesson

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Sonic discusses Ki's pregnancy with the only other echidna he knows.

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** Beyond All Odds****  
Chapter II: Biology Lesson  
**

Sonic stood before his friend, unable to meet his eyes, and scratched the back of his neck nervously. It had been hours since he'd fled from the mansion -- hours that he'd spent alternately screaming at the world, and crying like a baby. He hadn't expected anyone to show up out here, much less the Guardian of Angel Island. But he had decided that wasn't entirely a bad thing; he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to be alone right now. Or that he _should_ be alone, for that matter. He had already told the echidna about Ki's bombshell. Now came the really hard part.

"Knuckles... look, I know Ki's already terrified... she doesn't know anything about raising an echidna baby... Hell, I doubt she knows much about echidna, uh, _reproduction_ at all, and neither do I, really... I mean aside from what we've... what we've already covered..."

Knuckles stared at the blue hedgehog, who was clearly embarrassed enough for the both of them. Embarrassed, and scared. The echidna couldn't think of another time when the seemingly unflappable hero had truly looked this _afraid_ of anything. He sighed and sat on a nearby rock, taking off one shoe and removing the pebble that had been bothering him for over an hour now. After taking a moment to stretch his toes, he slid his shoe back on and finally looked up at Sonic.

"In other words, you want me to give you a quick biology lesson."

Sonic kicked at the ground, sending pebbles scattering in all directions. He seemed to be fascinated by this, as he repeated the move several times before answering.

"More... more-or-less, yeah."

The echidna shook his head. "I'm still trying to figure out _how_ you got her pregnant. I had always been under the impression – or rather, what was apparently the _misconception_ – that hedgehogs and echidnas weren't compatible species."

Sonic frowned and squeezed his eyes shut. "No kidding, Knuckles. You're not exactly helping, you know."

"I'm sorry, I just... and you're absolutely positive she's pregnant?"

"You didn't see her face, Knux; you didn't hear her voice... She was so upset... so... _angry_... Believe me, Knuckles, she's sure."

"...Damn, Sonic. I mean, it just shouldn't be possible. Echidnas developed separate from virtually all other species on Mobius... it's just... a one in a million chance, I guess."

"Yeah, well, I always beat the odds, don't I?"

Knuckles snorted. "I'll say." He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "So... what do you want to know?"

It was Sonic's turn to sit on the rock. He tugged at the cuff of his glove. "Um... well, everything, I guess. I mean, you echidnas lay eggs, right? How does that work?"

Knuckles suppressed a groan. "Yes, the _females_ of our species lay eggs..." He frowned and found another rock to sit on, and studied the hedgehog sitting across from him. Sonic really was a mess. He looked terrible, and his usual restlessness had been replaced by anxious fidgeting. _'Poor guy... no, more like "stupid"... Then again, there's no way he could have possibly known... Sweet Chaos, I can't believe I'm about to have this conversation...' _

He suppressed another groan and tried to decide where to begin. "All right, listen, and listen carefully, because I don't want you screwing this up when you repeat it all to Ki, and frankly, _I_ don't want to have to repeat it."

Sonic nodded, still unable to look the echidna in the eye.

"Okay... When..." Knuckles cleared his throat here, trying to ignore his own discomfort with the topic at least long enough to help the soon-to-be father. He tried again. "When a female gets pregnant, she carries the egg for about two months. After those two months, she lays the egg, and carries it in her pouch for one month. The baby hatches, but stays in the pouch for another four months, until it's ready to survive outside of the pouch. Which, by the way, is the same time that it starts on solid foods, though it still nurses for a few months more. After that, it's pretty much the same as any other kid, I guess."

Sonic seemed to have a hard time swallowing that much information at once. "Okay... I got all that... but... what about feeding the baby? I mean... there aren't any... she doesn't have..." He cleared his throat loudly, then simply gestured to the top half of his chest.

Knuckles nearly choked as he registered what Sonic was trying to ask. Try as he might, he couldn't suppress the wave of hysterics that swept over him. After a moment of shock – Knuckles never laughed, and the site was somehow disturbing – Sonic actually growled at him, and that only made the echidna laugh harder. He struggled to answer between snickers. "Echidnas... Echidnas don't have those, Sonic! In-infant echidnas can't... can't suckle... like other mammals..." Already in stitches, his own use of the word 'suckle' didn't help Knuckles calm down any. He slid off his rock and into the dirt, holding his sides and occasionally wiping away tears of amusement.

Sonic gave him the dirtiest look he could muster, given the circumstances. He repeated his earlier complaint, somewhat more forcefully this time. "YOU'RE. NOT. _HELPING!!!_"

Knuckles looked up at the furious hedgehog, and took a deep breath, trying to get his sudden hysteria under control. _'Yeah, this looks real dignified, Guardian. Geez... Oh, hell, I'm only sixteen once, and things like this don't come along every day...'_

His guffaws slowly reduced to occasional sniggers, and he eventually managed to pick himself up off the ground. "D-damn, Sonic, thanks. I needed that."

Sonic's expression hadn't changed. "You're _not_ welcome." He sighed, frustrated. "You were trying to explain something?" he prodded.

Taking one last calming breath, Knuckles sat back down on his rock, a smirk firmly affixed to his face. "Geez, Sonic... heh... Echidna's aren't quite built the same way as, say, hedgehogs are." Sonic raised an eyebrow. _'Well, at least he's looking me in the eye, now...'_

"See, infant echidnas literally _can't_ suckle like other mammals do, because their jaw muscles don't fully develop until they're ready to leave the pouch... Therefore, no nipples, and no nipples, no breasts... and why the _hell_ am I talking about this?" He shook his head and continued. "Anyway, inside the pouch, the milk's just... secreted onto the mother's belly, and the baby licks the milk from her fur. Get it?"

Sonic buried his head in his hands. "I guess." After a moment, his shoulders began to shake. "God, Knuckles, what the hell have I done?"

"You screwed up." He never _had_ been one to mince words. Sonic didn't look up, and Knuckles sighed. "Hey, even you aren't perfect. So... what are you going to do now?" The hedgehog sniffed, and Knuckles realized Sonic was crying again. He'd never seen Sonic cry; before today, he wouldn't have been able to imagine it. And as much as he loved torturing the younger boy, he decided not to comment on it – the poor guy was suffering enough as it was. _'There I am, back at "poor guy". Damn.'_

"I dunno... I guess... Go back and beg for forgiveness, for starters. Though I won't blame her if she doesn't forgive me. _I_ wouldn't forgive me, if I were her. _Shit_... What kind of guy runs out on his girl at a time like this?"

Knuckles pulled one foot up on the rock and leaned on his knee. "A scared one. ...A mortal one."

Sonic looked up, his eyes red. "I've never been so scared in my life. I don't like _feeling_ like this..."

"...I know. But think how Ki must feel. She's only been an echidna for a few months, and already she's got to go through childbirth as one."

"I know, I know..." He trailed off, his words dissolving into sobs.

Knuckles stared at Sonic, at a loss. He didn't exactly have a lot of experience in providing moral or emotional support. Ki was one thing, but...

Finally, he stood and walked across to the other boulder, taking a seat next to his friend. Not knowing what else to do, he placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder, and waited.

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	4. Chapter 3, Rooftop Reflections

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Kianna spends some time alone, thinking about her current situation..

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** Beyond All Odds****  
Chapter III: Rooftop Reflections**

Ki pulled herself up on the roof and lay down, staring at the sky. This, she had learned from spending time here with Sonic, was a good place to think. Or not think, if you preferred. Right now, the echidna really didn't want to think, but a myriad of thoughts kept chasing themselves around in her head anyway.

She was exhausted, drained of emotion, her tears spent. Ella had tried to comfort her, Amy had tried to comfort her, Tails and Cream and Chris and Grandpa had all tried to comfort her. Even Mr. Tanaka had, albeit rather awkwardly, tried to comfort her. But really, they were wasting their time. Nothing anybody could say could change what had happened. And she couldn't take back what she'd let herself do, on that one night of passion, of hormone-driven teenage stupidity, which had gotten her into this situation in the first place.

Not that that had been the only time they'd gone that far, but for some reason she was convinced that the baby had been conceived that first night.

And now it was too late. Too late for comfort, too late to reclaim what little childhood she had left. Was it too late for her relationship with Sonic?

She didn't know.

She'd never seen him so terrified. He never even flinched when standing up to Eggman, but he had flinched when she'd told him about their baby. Oh, he'd done so much more than flinch – and she gave a brief, mirthless laugh at the memory – he had fled.

And he hadn't come home yet. Ki wasn't sure she wanted him too.

She was too tired to really be angry, now, but she still hurt. Sonic's leaving, at the time when she needed him most, had been almost as painful as losing her father to cancer six years before. She'd felt so unbearably alone then.

She was alone now.

Though really, she reflected, that wasn't quite accurate, either. She wouldn't really, truly be alone for months. She wondered, not for the first time, how long she'd be pregnant. Were echidnas like humans, with 9-month pregnancies? She doubted it. For one thing, echidnas laid eggs. She knew that much, at least. Then again, what's to say that the echidnas of Mobius hadn't evolved to have live births? Would she have a live baby, or an egg? And echidnas had pouches. She remembered that from some of her initial research right after her transformation. She had one, though before becoming pregnant, it had simply been a faint line across her abdomen, completely hidden by her bright yellow fur. It was still perfectly hidden, but the 'line' had become more pronounced; it was beginning to separate into more of a slit. It was somewhat disconcerting for the once-human. Did Mobian echidnas still use their pouches, or were they just evolutionary 'left-overs'?

So many questions.

Even the internet, with its vast stores of knowledge, couldn't entirely answer her questions, because the only information she'd ever be able to find would be about _Earth_ echidnas. There was clearly a very big difference. After all, Earth echidnas weren't even capable of intelligent thought. Nor did they have teeth – or even jaw muscles, come to think of it. Nor could they walk upright. Or glide, as Knuckles had been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to teach her to do.

A very big difference indeed.

She'd wanted to ask Knuckles some questions, even before finding out she was pregnant, but somehow, no matter how hard she tried, she never managed to work up the nerve to ask those _particular _questions. She'd asked him about plenty of other things but... Maybe it was the topic she wanted to talk about, which would, admittedly, be a bit awkward to discuss with anyone, let alone a member of the opposite sex. Or maybe she felt stupid about having inquiries about such basic things, especially at her age. Or maybe it was just that the other echidna wasn't the easiest individual to have such a very personal conversation with. Whatever it was, whenever she saw him – which wasn't all that often anyway, given that he was pretty much always off on his own searching out the Chaos Emeralds – the questions always died en route to her lips.

At least Knuckles was too stubborn, once he'd set his mind to it, to give up teaching her to glide. He refused to let her admit defeat, and she had to appreciate that. Now, _climbing_, using these wonderfully bizarre spikes on her hands, had come much easier. It was actually quite fun, once she'd gotten the hang of it. Granted, it wasn't as easy as Knuckles made it look, but then again, he was stronger than she was, so that made sense. Not that she was exactly weak, of course. She had discovered early on (and much to her delight) that as an echidna, she possessed strength that put her former human body to shame. But still, punching into solid rock was no parlor trick.

Ki glared at the blood-red moon as it peeked above the horizon. Why was she thinking about this stuff? Gliding and climbing weren't exactly urgent matters right now. She had more important things to worry about.

Like her child, for instance.

_'My child_._ My baby_._ I'm going to be a mother_._ Alone_._ I don't want to be alone_._ Sonic_..._ Sonniku, where are you?'_

Sonniku. Her pet name for him. Perhaps she did watch too much anime, as he so often claimed. When he teased her about her love of Japanese cartoons, she always protested that at least she was learning another language in the process. Sort of. And then she'd call him 'Sonniku' in that sickeningly sweet tone, and he'd pretend to throw-up as soon as he thought she wasn't looking.

Ki realized, with another surge of irritation, that her train of though had already de-railed again. She forced her mind back to the current situation. If she was going to think tonight, damn it, it was going to be about her child.

She wondered if it was going to be a boy or a girl. She wondered which Sonic would prefer.

_'Who cares what he thinks?? He left me!!'_ she snarled inwardly. But there was no real anger to back it up.

The moon was higher up now, a bit smaller, and yellow in color. It was full, just as it had been that night. A month was gone already. She'd been pregnant for an entire month, and not even known it, at least not for sure, until today.

And it had been a long day. This one single day had felt as long as the entire _month_ before it.

"_Sonniku_..." she whispered, staring at the sky, watching the moon shrink as it rose ever higher.

Sonniku. The stupid name really drove him nuts, so she used it every chance she got. He was cute when he was annoyed.

The bastard.

The wonderful, beautiful, loving bastard.

Damn it all to hell. Try as she might, Ki just couldn't stay mad at him.

She was so tired. Part of her told her to climb down from the roof and go to bed, but a stubborn part of her refused. So, she remained where she was. The shingles had absorbed the day's warmth, and now made for a very comfortable place to lie. She gazed at the moon as it continued its journey across the night sky, her eyelids steadily growing heavier.

_'Sonic, come home_..._ please come home_...

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	5. Chapter 4, Arms Wide Open

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Inspired by the song "Arms Wide Open" by Creed. Sonic introspective, as the realization that he's going to be a father sinks in.

** Beyond All Odds****  
Chapter IV: With Arms Wide Open**

Pregnant. Ki's pregnant. Ki's... _pregnant._ With my...

With _my__baby_. God oh God oh _God_...

What have I done? What have _we _done? How could I be so _stupid_?

I don't know anything about being a...

...A father.

_ I'm a father._

I'm not even sixteen yet. And I'm a father.

Ki... she only turned sixteen a few weeks ago. She and I had one hell of a celebration, too.

And now we're parents. We're just kids, and we're _parents_.

No, that's not right, either. I haven't been a kid for a long time.

Neither has she. Not really.

I stopped being a kid when Eggman attacked my family's home. When my parents...

Ki's parents are gone too. She watched her father die. I've heard somewhere that childhood ends once you've seen death.

In which case Chris and Cream are the only ones of us so-called 'kids' that's really still a child.

I wonder if they realize how lucky they are.

I wonder how long of a childhood my baby will have. What kind of person am I, to bring a child into a world where someone like Eggman exists?

What kind of person am I to do this to the girl I love?

And I really do love her. I never would have been with her if I didn't. I'm not that kind of person. Not the 'love 'em and leave 'em' type.

At least I didn't think I was. But I left _her_. Just because _I'm_ scared.

It's not like me to run. _Away_, I mean. From anything. I've been through worse, haven't I?

...Haven't I?

Geez, what kind of screwed up logic is this, where I'm more scared of my own child than I am of Eggman?

And I left her. Why did I leave her?

_ ...God, I'm so scared..._

The trouble is, I'm not really an adult yet, either. If you're not an adult, and you're not a child, what are you?

...Oh, yeah, a _'teenager.'_

_"Being a teenager is so confusing..."_

_ "Tell me about it. ...You know something, Sonic?"_

_ "Hm?"_

_ "Humans don't know how easy they've got it."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Well, humans don't... human females don't... oh, you know..."_

_ "They don't go into heat?"_

She blushed then, burying her face between my neck and shoulder. I grinned. For as much of a 'tough girl' image as she tries to project, she sure embarrasses easily. She spoke into my fur, muffling her words and warming my neck.

_"Yeah_, that_. Sonniku...?__Oh, don't do that."_

_ "Do what?"_

_ "Growl at me when I call you that. I know you like it."_

_ "Do not."_

_ "Do too."_

_ "Do _not_."_

_ "Liar. ...Oh, knock it off, tough guy."_

_ "Ki-iii..." Sigh. "Were you gonna ask me something?"_

_ "Yeah." Silence._

_ "...and?"_

_ "Sonic... do you love me?"_

_ "Of course I love you. Didn't I just... _prove_ that?"_

_ "No, I mean... do you really _love_ me? I mean, it's not just the... the..."_

_ "Pheromones? No. I mean, that's a perk and all, but—_Ow!_ What was _that_ for?"_

_ "Could you be serious for a minute?"_

_ "30 seconds is my limit."_

_ "Funny." Sigh. "...Well?"_

_ "Well, what?"_

_ "Do you _love_ me? I swear, I'm about ten seconds from making you take me home."_

_ "As tired as I am, it'd take hours to get there, anyway. Might as well stay here."_

_ "Are you purposely avoiding answering or what?"_

_ "Nah. You're just fun to tease. OW! All right, all right, I love you, okay?"_

She pushed herself up slightly and looked down at me, apparently not believing my 'forced confession.' Maybe I _could_ manage to be serious for a minute or two. I pulled her back down against my chest, holding her tight.

_"Ki, I love you. More than anything. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Beyond that, even. I _love_ you."_

_ Silence. Then_:

_ "Ki? Are you crying? What's wrong? I'm being serious, I swear."_

_ "I know you are, Sonic. That's _why_ I'm crying."_

I was more than a little alarmed at that statement.

_"Wha ...I don't get it. Do... do _you_ love _me_?"_

_ "Yes." _

She tightened her arms around me, almost as if she were afraid to let go.

_"I love you so much, Sonic..."_

_ "Then... then why are you crying?"_

_ "Because I'm happy."_

_ "Oh. ...Me too."_

Huh? Man, I don't think I'll _ever_ understand girls...

_ "I love you, Sonniku."_

_ "I love you too, Kianna."_

_ "...I told you not to call me that."_

_ "I told _you_ not to call me 'Sonniku.' "_

_ "Oh, yeah. Good point... Sonniku."_

_ Groan._

The whole thing was kinda silly, I guess. Almost corny. Certainly by the end all seriousness had flown out the window. On both our parts.

We had no idea. Didn't even know it was possible.

I'm not exactly a genius, but I'm not stupid either, contrary to _some people's_ beliefs. I know what species can interbreed and which ones can't.

Or at least I thought I did.

For instance, I know that a chameleon and a duck can't have children together. Neither can, say, a turtle and a cat. Their physiologies are just _too_ different. It's been known to be done with a _ton _of help from science, but it doesn't happen naturally.

On the other hand, a fox and a cat _could_ have a baby, and so could a chameleon and a gecko (though I've come to understand that this doesn't apply to the animals on this planet – and it doesn't apply to the non-sentient animals on Mobius either).

Thing is, hedgehogs and echidnas look pretty similar, but we're really very different. Even Knuckles is baffled by this whole thing, and it takes a _lot_ to blow that guy's mind.

At the time, we were just happy to be together. We weren't worried about the possibility of pregnancy, because as far as we knew, there was none. As far as we knew, we could have sex as much as we wanted without any consequences.

But there are always consequences, aren't there?

I'll never take biology for granted again.

Ki... she looked so terrified. And then so angry. I was in shock. When I snapped out of it, and what she was telling me really hit me, I panicked.

So I ran. And left her there alone.

Crying.

All alone.

Because I was too much of a coward to stay with her.

Because I'm afraid of having a child. Afraid of the responsibility.

Damn it, don't I have enough responsibility already?

...I'm a selfish son of a bitch, aren't I?

Complaining about more responsibility when Ki's the one who has to carry the baby, for the next, what, six months still? She's the one that has to feed the baby, make sure she's getting enough nutrition to support them both, go through the pain...

Whoop-dee-doo, Sonic, all you did was donate some sperm. And you enjoyed it.

You selfish son of a bitch.

But still... it's my baby, too. My son or daughter. I wonder which it'll be. I wonder if it'll look more like a hedgehog or an echidna. Or will it be an even blend of the two? Blue fur, yellow fur, or some other color? Will they inherit my speed?

...And the burden that comes with it?

I don't want my child to go through the things I've been through. I don't want them to see the things I've seen.

Guess I'll just have to defeat Eggman a little ahead of schedule.

That might be a bit more effective if there _was_ a schedule, but...

My child will _not_ suffer because of that madman. _No one_ will hurt my baby.

I'll be there for Ki, and I'll be there for our child. I'll protect my family the way I've always protected my friends – by any means necessary.

My family. My baby. My... wife? Can you consider yourself married if there's never been a ceremony?

Well, my mate, then. Till death do us part.

Damn, don't I sound poetic? Knuckles would be proud.

...Well, maybe not _proud..._

I'm going home. She needs me. They... they both do.

Yeah, I'm going home to _my__family_.

...But first...

...Maybe I had better come up with some kind of peace offering. Seriously, Ki really hits hard, and those spikes _hurt_.


	6. Chapter 5, Sound Proof

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC for language and violence, and mild gore.

**Chapter Summary:** Ki reflects on the day's events.

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** Beyond All Odds****  
Chapter V: Sound Proof**

Ki woke up as several cold drops of water hit her face. She opened one eye, then the other. She started to sit up, catching herself just before overbalancing on the steep roof.

It was raining. Terrific.

_'I'd better get off this roof before the shingles become too slick to walk on...' _

She pushed herself up carefully, finding her balance, and made her way to the window. The rain was picking up, and fast.

_'Probably give poor Tails a heart attack when I climb inside...' _She thought as she pushed the window up high enough to climb through. _'Maybe I can do this without waking him up...' _The already-soaked echidna clambered through the window and dropped down to the floor. Closing the window against the torrent outside, she turned towards the trapdoor that led to the ground level of the garage...

And heard a groggy voice mutter, "Who's there? Ki? ...That you?"

She turned toward where the bed stood in one corner of the room and smiled at the fox. He was sitting up, and even in the darkened room, she could see that his fur was a mess – flattened in some areas, ruffled in others. It was cute. "Yeah, just me, kiddo. Go back to sleep."

"...m'kay..." He dropped back onto his pillow. Ki was sure he was asleep before he hit it. She made her way downstairs and out of the garage. The rain was coming in at a slant, and the canopy over the walkway did little to keep it away. She broke into a run, relieved when at last she reached the living room door. Stepping into the safe, dry house, she made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom, wincing as water dripped onto the carpets Ella worked so hard to keep clean. The house was silent – everyone else was apparently already asleep.

The first thing she did was turn on the tub faucet and pour a couple capfuls of bubble bath into the water. Then she headed back out into her room and stripped off her soaked clothes.

_'I hate being wet... Well, wet when I don't wanna be, anyway...'_

She paused by the bathroom door as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She turned sideways, looking at her profile, most notably, the slight swell of her belly – the thing that had tipped her off that something was indeed wrong.

_'Wrong's not really the right word, though, is it?'_

She'd gained enough weight to worry her, despite Sonic's certainty that she couldn't become pregnant by him. Finally, afraid to admit to anyone else that she and Sonic had slept together, she had confided in Ella. Ella had immediately contacted a friend of hers – a doctor that worked in a woman's clinic.

Ki had been mortified. What would a human doctor know about an echidna, anyway? A pregnancy test would be unreliable at best, given that they were designed for _human_ women.

And then there was, of course, the press. The paparazzi, even. If she walked into a _woman's_ clinic, she'd without a doubt be noticed.

The last thing they needed was for word to get out to the public that she was pregnant. Then the speculation and controversy would explode. She would look bad, her family would look bad, Sonic would look bad.

She could already see the headlines: "Blue Superhero becomes Teen Father," "Supersonic Daddy," "Sonic Baby Boom," or God forbid, "Sonic's Sweetie Impregnated by Aliens."

God, how she hated tabloids. As if regular headlines weren't bad enough.

At first, she had refused to go. It wasn't until Ella explained that they would go Sunday, when the clinic was closed, that she began to calm down. Ella reassured her that her friend, Dita, knew how to keep her mouth shut tight, and that no one would even have to know that she was there, let alone _why_ she was there.

"But... Ella, how's she gonna tell? I mean, humans and echidnas aren't really... built the same, you know?"

"You'll never believe this..."

"...What? What won't I believe?"

"Dita originally went to school to become a veterinarian."

Ki blushed; the idea of visiting a vet was simply too humiliating, even if the woman _was_ a real doctor now.

"A friend of hers died of cancer a couple of years after she started college, and she decided then that she wanted to become a human doctor instead."

"Oh... E-Ella... I-I don't wanna do this... I don't think I can do this..."

"Ki, would you rather wait until you're in labor to know for sure?"

"W-well, no, but..."

"Okay then. Pull your hood up – we're here."

Just in case anyone was watching, Ki had worn an oversized sweatshirt, complete with hood, along with her regular clothes, to hide both her face and her tail as much as possible.

Ella knocked on the door, and a pretty, dark-skinned woman let them in. She told Ella to make herself comfortable in the waiting room, and feel free to turn on whatever she wanted on the television. Dita then lead Ki through another door, back to one of the examination rooms. The smell of various chemicals – bleach, pine-sol, ammonia and several others she couldn't identify assaulted her, and the sight of the various medical apparatus, in particular the machine in one corner by the bed, made her very nervous.

Dita left the room, returning a moment later with a notepad and pen. She asked Ki to sit down. Ki couldn't move her legs. Instead, she stood in place, one arm subconsciously protecting her belly, the other hand tugging nervously at the hood of her sweatshirt. Dita smiled; she'd seen this happen with plenty of other girls in the past.

"Ki, sweetie, no one's going to hurt you. No one's going to hurt your baby, if indeed you are pregnant. Sit down and try to relax, all right? Everything's going to be fine."

Dita put a hand on Ki's shoulder, and guided her into one of the chairs.

"I need to ask you some questions, okay? I need as much information as I can get, because I'm really sort of shooting in the dark here. Why don't you pull that hood down so I can see your face, hmm?"

Hesitantly, Ki pulled back her hood and pulled her dreadlocks free of her sweatshirt. Dita smiled again.

"That a girl. Now some of these questions are going to be uncomfortable, but I need you to answer them completely and honestly, alright?"

The echidna nodded.

"How old are you, Ki?"

"Fif-sixteen. Just turned. My birthday was a month ago."

"And how long have you been sexually active?"

Ki's face turned red again, and she was tempted to pull her hood back up.

"Ki? I need you to answer me."

She nodded. "I- um, a-about a month. Almost exactly a month."

One of Dita's eyebrows twitched upward at that, but she showed no other reaction. She wrote down Ki's answers on the notepad.

"Okay... How many partners have you had?"

"_Wha__– I– _One!! What d'you think I _am_, anyway??"

"Alright, take it easy, Ki, please. I promise, these are standard questions. I'm not implying anything. Am I safe in assuming that that one partner is Sonic the Hedgehog?"

Ki started to examine the floor tiles. "...Y-yes." Why couldn't she stop stuttering?

"Okay... well, with most girls, this would be the part where I'd ask about their menstrual cycle, but I don't know if that would apply here..."

Ki shrugged. "Haven't had one since I became an echidna. I've assumed we don't have them."

"Yes, well, I suppose that would stand to reason..."

The teenager looked up. "Why's that?"

"Well, I don't know about – what's it called? Mobius?" Ki nodded. "I don't know about Mobius echidnas, but earth echidnas lay eggs."

"...Yeah, I read about that somewhere. And it's 'Mobian.' 'Mobian echidnas.'"

"Oh. Um, okay, thank you for clearing that up. So, do you know if Mobian echidnas lay eggs?"

Ki shook her head, dropping her gaze back to the floor.

"Ki... if you've only been sexually active for a month, what makes you think you're pregnant?"

"I'm... gaining weight."

"Ki... weight gain doesn't usually begin in the first month."

"_For humans._ Weight gain doesn't usually begin in the first month _for humans_. You don't know that it's not different for echidnas."

"Well, that _is_ true... but I'm still not entirely sure..."

"Look at this, then." Ki stood up and tugged at her sweatshirt, pulling it and her t-shirt over her head. Depositing them in her chair, she then unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, pulling them down to just below her hips. Dita watched, momentarily surprised by the girl's lack of modesty. For most girls in this particular situation, it took a lot of convincing just to get them to allow an examination in the first place. Ki turned sideways, running one white-gloved hand down her chest, and over the swell of her abdomen.

"This... wasn't here a month ago."

Dita nodded slowly. Though it was only a slight swelling, to her practiced eye the implications were clear. "All right. I have a few more questions, and once we've taken care of them, I'd like to perform an ultrasound."

Ki looked as if she'd just been sentenced to a hanging. Dita chuckled.

"It's okay, Ki. Ultrasound imaging is perfectly safe, both for you and for the baby." Ki noted that Dita didn't say 'if there is one' this time. She refastened her jeans and sunk back into her chair. Dita continued, "And since I'm not sure that the standard ways of testing for pregnancy would work, there really aren't any other options." Ki nodded reluctantly. "Let's finish up those questions, okay? The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be done, and the sooner we'll know for sure."

Ki would have felt better if she'd known more of the answers to Dita's questions. Unfortunately, many of the things she asked were things Ki had been wondering about herself. When the doctor had finished her inquisition, she stood up, motioning towards the bed.

"Alright, now for the fun part." Ki looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Dita gave her a small smile. "It doesn't hurt. And it's not dangerous. I promise."

Ki stood up slowly. "I-I know, but..." She sighed. "Do I need to take off my jeans?"

"You can pull them down like you had them before. That should be fine." Ki unfastened her jeans and clambered awkwardly onto the tall medical bed.

"This world is too tall."

Dita turned away from the ultrasound machine. "The _world_ is too _tall_?"

"Yeah, I, uh, I got that one from Sonic. He figures it beats calling himself short. And I'm even shorter than he is."

Dita turned away and washed her hands at the nearby sink, speaking over the sound of the water. "That's... different."

"So is Sonic."

Dita smiled over her shoulder. "It sounds like you really love him."

"I do."

Dita dried her hands and returned with a tube of something, and picked up a device from the machine. It was attached to the machine by a thick electrical wire. Noting the increased fright in the teenager's expression, the doctor explained, "This thing–" she held up the device "–is called a transducer. It transmits and receives the sound waves used in ultrasound imaging. You could sort of think of it as a camera, except that this camera takes pictures with sound instead of light. And this lovely stuff–" she held up the tube "–probably going to be a bit of a pain to get out of your fur, but there's no way around it. See, this stuff improves the transmission of the sound waves. Sort of like water conducts electricity."

Dita put down the transducer and twisted the top off of the tube. Then she noticed something. She placed her free hand on Ki's arm. "You poor thing, you're shaking! Ki, there's nothing to be afraid of. Do you understand?" Ki nodded.

"I... I can't help it. I'm..." her voice cracked "...I'm afraid of what'll show up on the screen."

"Oh, I see...

"Ki, I won't lie to you. I won't tell you that having a baby is easy, because it's not. I have two children of my own. I was in labor for twenty-two hours with the first one and fourteen hours with the second. My youngest had colic and cried seemingly nonstop for the first several months of her life. There were times when I'd be so tired and frustrated that I'd just start crying with them. It can be hard.

"But, Ki, it's an incredible experience. To feel a new life growing inside you, to know it depends on you completely... To see your baby for the first time, and know that it loves you... There's no way to describe that.

"Trust me, the difficulty is worth it.

"I know you're young, and I know you're scared. But you'll learn, and the fear will go away with time. You're a good kid, and I'm sure you'll be a great mother. And I know for a fact that Ella will do everything she can to help you out." She smiled at Ki, and Ki smiled slightly in return.

"Alright, now try to relax." She squeezed a glob of a jelly-like substance out of the tube and onto Ki's abdomen. The echidna squawked in surprise.

"Geez, that's cold!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Dita picked up the transducer and placed it against Ki's belly, using it to spread out the jelly. She tried not to squirm, but between the gooey coldness seeping into her fur and her nervousness about what she was certain she was about to see, it wasn't easy.

"Try to hold still now..."

With a start, Ki realized that there was already an image starting to form on the screen. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to lay still as Dita move the transducer, looking for the baby. Soon her attention was fully on the screen. After a few minutes, she heard Dita speak.

"I think... yes... hang on, let me try to get a better angle..."

As Ki watched, a perfect circle formed in the picture. Dita adjusted the machine some more, and another image appeared inside the circle. Ki stared at it, unable to move her eyes away, unable to speak, barely able to breath.

"Would you look at that? That circle must be the egg... or maybe it's just the placenta... I wish I knew more about your physiology... Ki? Are you still with me?" Ki managed to nod her head. The move would have been imperceptible if Dita wasn't looking for it. "Ki, I want you to do something for me for a minute. Put your hands up here and hold on to this–" she guided the stunned girl's hands onto the transducer "–hold this. I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to get Ella. Is that all right? Ki?" Another minute nod. "Okay. I'll be right back."

Ki didn't notice Dita leave the room, nor did she notice when she returned a moment later, with Ella in tow. Dita took Ki's hands off the transducer and readjusted it, changing the angle slightly. She and Ella were talking, but Ki didn't know what they were saying. She didn't care.

She was too busy staring at her baby.

Ki sighed and returned to the bathroom, turning off the tap and settling into the warm water. She had wanted the water to be hotter, but she had remembered reading or hearing something about it being bad for the baby to take hot baths.

Weird how she had remembered that.

She closed her eyes, replaying the sonogram video in her mind. It was far from fully formed, and only just recognizable as a baby, but it was there. And it was hers.

She rubbed at the fur on her stomach, washing out the last of the 'jelly.' Then she closed her eyes and sunk down as far as she could into the water.

It had been one hell of a day.

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	7. Chapter 6, Lima Bean with a Tail?

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Sonic returns.

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** Beyond All Odds****  
Chapter VI: A Lima Bean with a Tail?**

_'I wonder how badly she'll injure me if I climb through her window...?'_

Sonic held the paper bag in one hand and tugged on the window with the other. _'Yes, it's unlocked, thank you, thank you, I'm soaked, I just wanna get inside...'_

Sonic gratefully crawled through the window and closed it behind him. He looked around. Ki wasn't in here, but her clothes lay in a wet pile near the bathroom door. His ears flicked automatically in the direction of the bathroom; he heard water running. He followed the sound, pausing at the door.

"K-ki...? You in there?" _'Of course she's in there genius, who else would it be?'_

The water was turned off. He stood in silence, waiting for a reply, any reply. Swallowing hard, he tried again. "Ki?"

"What do you want?"

The hedgehog felt as if he'd been slapped in the face. "Ki... I'm... I mean, I– ...can I come in?"

"It's unlocked." Not a refusal, but not permission either. Sonic turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open. She spoke again as he entered the room. "Well? What do you want?"

Sonic found himself unable to look at her. He stared at the floor, watching water drip from his quills, creating a puddle on the tiles. "I-I'm... I shouldn't have left." She didn't say anything. He approached the bathtub and sat, hesitantly, on the side. For what seemed like the millionth time today, he felt tears burning in his eyes. He forced himself to look her in the face. "Ki... baby, I'm so sorry... I just... _I'm so sorry_..."

Ki closed her eyes. She didn't really know how to respond. Part of her wanted to pull him into an embrace, and part of her wanted to hurt him as badly as he'd hurt her. When she opened her eyes again, she spotted the white paper bag he was holding. Raising an eyebrow, she found something of a compromise.

"Sonic... what's that?" Sonic was startled by the question; he'd expected her to scream at him, maybe even attack him. Instead, she wanted to know what was in the bag.

"Sonic... I asked you a question."

He felt slightly embarrassed, but he opened the bag anyway, pulling from it two Styrofoam containers. He looked at her as she made a strange sound.

Ki fought off the grin that threatened to destroy her serious expression. She didn't have to see what was in the containers to know what it was – she could _smell_ it. She rolled her eyes.

"Most guys bring their girls flowers or chocolates when they screw up. Mine brings me french fries and nacho cheese."

He shrugged, attempting a sheepish smile. "I know it's your favorite. A-and besides... you don't wanna deprive our baby of the finer things in life, do you?"

Ki bent over, covering her face in her hands. She was shaking, and Sonic panicked. "Ki– it was only a joke, baby, really... Ki...?"

She looked up at him, and his eyes widened a bit in surprise. She wasn't upset – she was laughing. He stared at her.

Ki couldn't stop laughing. It was just so incredibly absurd, so entirely hilarious. She was laughing so hard that soon she was hiccupping as well. "S-" _hiccup_ "Sonic, you're such a-" _hiccup_ "Such a silly-" _hiccup_ "silly ass, really!"

He grinned and set the food on the side of the tub. "Yeah, well, you know me... So... d-does this mean you forgive me?" His expression sobered a bit as he waited for an answer. Ki had closed her eyes and was trying to stop the hiccups that had assailed her, her own expression growing serious again. Sonic's heart sank. Was she still angry at him? Would she forgive him?

..._Could_ she forgive him?

After what felt to him like an eternity, she opened her eyes, and looked into his.

"Sonic..." Ki felt tears dripping down her cheeks. What was more, Sonic was crying as well. She'd never seen him cry; it was a sight that made her heart ache. She sighed, and gave in. "I can't stay angry at you, Sonic... I want to, but I can't... Yes, I forgive you... Just... Just promise me you won't leave me again... please don't ever leave me again..."

Sonic wiped his eyes with the palm of one hand and leaned down towards her. Ki sat up to meet him, wrapping her arms around him. "Never, Ki... I'll never leave you again... I promise... I'll never leave you... I'm so sorry... I love you so much, Ki... a-and I love our baby..."

Ki looked up at him. "You... you do?"

"Sure I do... I... I've known for a while that I wanted to have a family with you, I just figured we'd, y'know, adopt or something... And I didn't think it'd be so soon..."

She chuckled. "Neither did I... I got to see the baby this morning, you know."

"Already? How?"

"Well, Ella has this friend who's a doctor at a woman's clinic in town. She performed an ultrasound–"

"An ultra-what?"

"Ultra_sound_. You know, a sonogram. It uses sound waves to look at the baby."

"Oh. Cool. So... what'd it look like?"

"Like a lima bean with a tail."

Sonic made a startled sound and lost his balance. There was a tremendous _sploosh_, and water went everywhere, flooding the bathroom floor. Both sputtered in surprise, and then Sonic, as Ki would later put it, 'freaked out.'

"Ki! Are you okay? Are you all right? Did I hurt you? Is the baby okay? Ki–" He was cut off as Ki's palm hit his face.

"SONIC! Look at me. Get. A. Grip. I'm fine. The baby's fine. You landed on my legs. Everyone's fine. My kneecaps have been in better shape, but other than that... Good grief, are _you_ gonna be all right?" Sonic's face had completely drained of color, and his quills were standing straight out, despite being soaked by his impromptu bath. He looked like he was in the middle of a heart attack.

"Sonic..." Ki giggled. "Sonic, it's all right, calm down!" She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Get a grip, man; I'm pregnant, but I'm not made of porcelain. It's okay."

Sonic calmed down some. "Are-are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. The baby's fine. You're fine. ...Actually, I'm a little worried about you. You're not gonna turn into a basket case every time I stub my toe, now, are you?"

"I-no, I think I'll be alright..."

"Good. Now scoot over or something; my legs are falling asleep. And your quills are poking me."

"Oh. Boy. Sorry. Wait–does that mean I can stay in here?"

Ki rolled her eyes. He was going to be just fine. "Yes, Sonic, you can stay, long as you get off my legs and get your sneakers away from my nose." For Sonic was awkwardly positioned with his head against the back side of the tub, and had his feet braced against the outer side. He was still struggling to sit up. Kicking his shoes off and over the side of the tub, he pushed himself up (with a little help from Ki) and scooted over, freeing the echidna's legs.

Ki sighed in relief and watched her boyfriend peel off his soaking socks and gloves.

"Bleh. I hate wet clothes."

"You hardly _wear_ any clothes!"

"So? It's sti–" This time he was cut off by a knock on the bathroom door. Or rather on the doorframe. Ki shrunk back. The door wasn't even closed all the way – Sonic had left it open several inches. Fortunately, the door opened _towards_ the tub, so anyone standing at the door would have to open it a bit further to see them.

"Ki?" It was Ella. "Are you alright? I heard quite a commotion a moment ago."

"Oh, um, yeah, Ella, I'm fine. Just, uh, slipped."

"Do you need any help?" The door moved slightly.

"NO! Um, heh heh, um, no, no thank you, Ella." _'Please don't walk in here, please don't walk in here, please don't open the door...'_ She looked at Sonic. He had a grin on his face that worried her, and he maneuvered himself about so that he was kneeling in front of her, between her legs. Ki frowned at him. _'Just what are you up to, you weird hedgehog?'_

"You sound upset, Ki. Has Sonic come back yet?"

Ki looked at Sonic, trying to decide what to say. If she said yes, then the question would come up of whether they'd made up, and where Sonic himself was. Which was something she wasn't sure she wanted to answer. Sonic's grin just widened, and he placed one of his hands on her thigh. She scowled at him, pulling back as far as she could, and turned back toward the door. "Um, n-no, I haven't seen him, Ella. I don't know wh-" Ki's voice suddenly rose several octaves "_-where he is..._"

Ki looked back at Sonic with a shocked expression. Now she understood the odd way he was acting. His hand had made its way to where only she and he had ever been, and he was thoroughly enjoying her reaction. She grabbed his wrist and gave him a look that clearly read 'not now.'

She repeated herself, praying that Ella wouldn't press the issue further. "I haven't seen him since this afternoon. I guess he found someplace to spe-" Ki gasped; Sonic had made up for his captured hand by using the other "–spend the night." She tried to grab this hand as well, but Sonic caught her first, transferring her hand to his trapped one and restraining it. Ki glared at him.

Much to her relief, however, Ella seemed to buy her response, though she sounded a bit confused by the strain in Ki's voice. "Alright, then, I'm going back to bed. Ki... try not to be too hard on him. I know he hurt you, but he loves you, you know. You can't blame him for being afraid." Ki rolled her eyes as she tried to squirm away from Sonic's touch. It was a little late for that advice.

"Y-yeah, thank you, Ella. _Good-_" she gritted her teeth "-Goodnight, Ella."

"Goodnight dear."

Ki listened as Ella left the bedroom, closing that door behind her. Then she rounded on Sonic. "Are you out of your _mind??_" she hissed.

"Apparently." He leaned in and kissed her. She pulled back and glared at him.

"This is how we got in this situation in the first place, you know."

"Not like you can get any _more_ pregnant."

"That's not the point. Sonic-" She gasped again and let go of his first hand in order to grab the other. Now she had hold of one of his hands, and he had hold of one of hers. "Sonic, if Ella had found out you were in here, after everything that's gone on today... _Oh God!_ _Sonic_, knock it _off!_" He had let go of her hand and returned to his task. "That's it; this is the last time I _ever_ take a bath with _you_." She grappled with his free hand, but ended up with her own hand joining its mate in his iron grip. "You frickin' cheater...q-quit... Son-Sonic, we can't... we can't have sex now. Not until the baby's born... I don't-" She struggled, but it was no use. "I don't wanna take any chances... _Sonic!_"

He kissed her again, and this time she reluctantly let him. "Sonic, I'm serious..."

"I know you are. No sex. Until the baby's born. Or until the egg's laid. Whatever. No chances. I got it. Stop fighting."

"S-Sonic, but... _mmm_... I just said... did you say 'egg'?"

"Uh-huh. Ran into Knuckles this afternoon. He explained it."

"Oh? _Ah! _Sonic, for _God's sake_–"

"Shhh... Yeah. He said you'll carry the egg for two months, then lay it."

"Th-_en­_... then what?"

"You'll carry the egg in your pouch for about a month, and then it'll hatch. Stop squirming."

"_You_ stop."

"...You really want me to stop?"

"..._mmm_... Yes, I- _ohh_ no... no, don't stop... damn you... Wh-what happens after it hatches?"

"It stays in the pouch for... what'd he say... four months, I think."

"You think?"

"Um... no, I'm sure. He said four months. Then the baby can live outside of the pouch."

"Wh-_hmm_-what about feeding the baby?"

"It licks the milk from your fur inside your pouch."

"...Oh... kay... Guess I'll figure that one... out..."

"That's what I figured. Instinct and all. ...Water's getting cold."

"N-not from where I'm si-sitting..."

"Food's getting cold, too."

"Shame."

"Maybe I should stop. Don't wanna waste good food."

"S-stop and I'll _ki_-kill you."

Some time later, Ki walked out into her bedroom, wringing water from her dreadlocks.

"Geez, these things are a pain when they're wet."

Her only reply was the sound of a great deal of water hitting the shower curtain as Sonic shook himself dry.

"Oh, yeah, rub it in, you dork... My _fur's_ mostly dry, but no amount of shaking can get these stupid things dry... Oh, quit sticking together... How does Knuckles _deal_ with this?"

"I'd say a lifetime of practice." Sonic had come out of the bathroom and was standing behind her. "You realize you ask that question just about every time you get wet?"

"I never get a good enough answer." She sighed. "I guess that'll have to do. They can dry while I sleep. And I _am_ tired. Even more so now than I was before my bath, thanks to a certain blue hedgehog..." She gave him a sidelong glance.

"Heh, you're welcome..."

She rolled her eyes and picked up a piece of paper from her dresser. "Oh, hey, look what I found. Ella must have put this in here earlier."

"What is it?"

Ki smiled and showed him the photo. "Our baby. It's a little hard to make out, but... See, that circle is the egg, and there's the baby. If you look hard enough, you can even see the tail... Gee, it was easier to see on the monitor." Sonic took the picture and looked at it for a long moment. He squinted. Then he grinned.

"You're right. It does look like a lima bean with a tail."

Ki giggled as she moved to her bed, crawling wearily under the covers. "But it's _our_ lima bean. Hey, where do you think _you're_ going?" Sonic had gotten into bed from the other side, and was propped up on an elbow, grinning at her.

"Going to bed."

"This is _my_ bed. If I'm not mistaken, you have a hammock in the garage, in the room you share with Tails."

"I'd rather stay here. Besides, it's still raining. You're not gonna make me go out in that, are you?" As if to punctuate his question, a huge _boom_ of thunder shook the house.

Ki sighed dramatically. In truth, she didn't really want him to go, either. "Fine, fine. You can stay. I guess. If you have to." She turned off the lamp on her nightstand, and the room went dark. Lying on her side, facing away from Sonic, Ki watched the lightning illuminate the mansion grounds. She felt the mattress shift as Sonic moved to lie on his side behind her, draping one arm around her shoulders.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him. "Goodnight, Sonic."

"Goodnight, Ki." His hand moved slowly down from her shoulders to her belly, and stopped. She smiled when she heard him whisper two more words before falling asleep:

"Goodnight, baby."

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	8. Chapter 7, Family Feud

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary: **The next morning. For at least one member of the family, shock gives way to anger. Chuck confronts Sonic, and things get ugly.

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**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter VII: Family Feud**

"You realize that my grandfather will probably want to castrate you." 

"Probably."

"You sure you want to face them so soon?"

"You did."

"Yeah, but people tend to be harder on the guy who 'knocked up the innocent little girl. They also tend to feel sorry for that girl, and not so much so for the guy."

"It's not like I raped you."

"I don't think Grandpa's really gonna see it that way."

"Chuck wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I guess we'll find out."

Ki walked through the dining room door, with Sonic right behind her. They were met with an array of expressions – sympathy, uncertainty, disappointment, and most notably, anger. Only Ella, Cream, and Cheese were cheerful (the former having already forgiven their lack of judgment, and the latter two really being too young (or simply too naïve) to know any better).

They took their usual seats, but reversed them so that Ki was sitting between Sonic and her Grandfather.

Ella smiled at them, and shot a disproving look at Chuck, who had begun carving into his ham rather violently the moment they'd entered the room. "Good morning! Sleep well?" She winked at Ki.

The teenager's stomach lurched. _'Dear God, she knew Sonic was there all along!'_ With some effort, Ki smiled back.

"Uh, yeah, slept great..."

Sonic smiled as well, but his was more nervous than Ki's, due in large part to the looks being thrown his way by the man at the head of the table. Ki swallowed hard and began helping herself to the bowl of scrambled eggs. Sonic followed suit, but before either had managed to actually take a bite of their breakfast, Chuck spoke.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face here this morning."

Ki looked up with a start, dropping her fork. Her grandfather was looking at Sonic with an expression that she hadn't thought the old man was capable of. His eyes were glittering with barely restrained fury. He did indeed look like he planned to sterilize her boyfriend.

Sonic looked up, then quickly dropped his gaze back to his plate, speaking clearly and evenly.

"Good morning, Mr. Thorndyke." Not 'Morning, Chuck,' like he normally said. 'Mr. Thorndyke.' Ki busied herself with buttering her toast and prayed her grandfather would leave it at that.

He didn't.

"So you finally found the guts to face your responsibilities like a man, hmm?"

Sonic swallowed a bite of sausage. "Yes, sir." He still didn't look up, and his ears were folded down. Ki cringed. She hated hearing Sonic sound so... _submissive._ And things were about to get ugly, very ugly, she was sure. Clearing her throat, she looked around at the younger people seated around the table.

'_Amy and Chris are old enough to understand what's going on... and Tails may not be very old, but God knows he knows what's going on... But Cream and Cheese... gotta get them outta here..."_

"Hey, Cream, why don't you and Cheese go eat out on the terrace, hmm? It's such a pretty morning."

Tails glanced around the table at Sonic, Chuck, and the others, then quickly helped Cream with her plate. Then he gathered his own plate and motioned to Chris and Amy, saying, perhaps a bit too cheerfully, "Good idea, it's really nice out today! Um, come on, guys, let's all go!"

Ki was going to have to thank that kid later. He knew this wasn't going to be pretty, either. Cream and Cheese bounded out the door first. Tails, Amy and Chris went more slowly, clearly reluctant to leave, though whether it was because they wanted to back up their friends or whether they just wanted to watch the fireworks, Ki wasn't entirely sure.

Sonic, for his part, looked like hell. Even his quills seemed to have gone limp, and he didn't even bother to look up as the others left the room. Ki put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you comfort him, Kianna Thorndyke. He deserves to feel every bit as guilty as he does."

Ki's hand tightened on Sonic's shoulder at her grandfather's words. She shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth to keep herself from saying anything she might later regret.

"K-Ki, you're hurting me." Startled, Ki loosened her white-knuckled grip on the hedgehog.

"Sorry, Sonniku."

"You deserve to be hurt a lot more than that. You hurt my granddaughter far more than that."

"_Stop _it, Grandpa."

"I don't see how you could forgive him so easily. He doesn't deserve it. Some hero he is. Some role model for Chris. And Tails, for that matter. What the heck is wrong with you, boy? What were you thinking, huh?"

"Master Chuck, please, try to calm down. They're young; they just made a mistake. Treating them badly won't help anything."

"I'll speak to that boy however I please, Ella. He hurt my granddaughter, he _ruined_ her _life_, and I will _not_ let him get away with it."

Ki couldn't take any more. Enraged, she threw her fork down, sending it clattering across the table, and turned to Chuck. Her words spilled out furiously, between and on top of the fiercest growls they'd ever heard from her.

"Don't you _dare_ say that Sonic ruined my life. _Sonic_ didn't do anything to me. _I_ slept with him; _I _let him into my pants, all right?? He didn't _force_ me to do anything! It was entirely consensual; I _wanted_ to have sex with him! If you're going to blame him, you have to blame _me_ as well! And now that Sonic's back, I've realized that I'm _happy!_ I _want _this baby! This child is a _miracle, _and I love it! Sonic loves it, and he loves me! We're a family, whether you like it or not! And I swear to _GOD_, Charles Thorndyke, if you say _one more_ negative thing to or about my boyfriend– No, my _MATE_ – I will _NEVER _speak to you again. And if you think I'm not serious you just go ahead and _try me._"

Ella, Tanaka, and even Sonic gaped at her, utterly shocked. Chuck sputtered, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing. Ki had never spoken to him in such a manner before.

The girl's face was scarlet, so bright that it was visible under the peach-colored fur of her muzzle, and her fur stood on end. Her muzzle above her nose was wrinkled and her lips were drawn back, baring her teeth in a snarl. She gripped the edge of the table, shaking so violently that the plates and silverware on the table were rattling.

Several long minutes passed, but Ki didn't move, her expression didn't change. Finally, Sonic managed to recover his voice. He put a hand on Ki's arm, trying to calm her, and spoke at barely above a whisper.

"Ki, baby, calm down, all right? It's okay. I-If Chuck thinks I need to be yelled at, let him. I-I think you're just making it worse. Besides... this can't be good for the baby."

Chuck's sputtering finally congealed into words.

"What the hell do _you_ know about what's good for a baby?? _You're _practically still a–"

He was cut off as Ki's fist slammed down on the tabletop. Sonic winced; he was certain that he'd heard the wood crack beneath the blow, despite the fact that she hadn't hit the table with her spikes. Her glass had been overturned by the shockwave, and orange juice was now rapidly soaking into the white tablecloth.

With a dangerous glare at her grandfather, Ki stood and turned to Sonic.

"Come on, Sonic. I'm not going to sit here and listen to any more of this, and neither are you."

"Bu- Ki..." He sighed. "Alright, I'm coming." He got down from his chair and turned to follow her. Ki paused for a moment before leaving the room, making eye contact with Ella and Tanaka, both of whom looked as if they wished they could think of something to say to help the situation. Shaking her head, she left the room, dropping her head onto Sonic's shoulder as he put an arm around her. She was exhausted. She was also still hungry, but there was no way she was going back into the dining room with that man.

"Ki... you gonna be okay? He'll come around, you know. He's a good guy; he's just upset. It'll be all right."

Ki put an arm around his waist. "I always thought he was more understanding than this... Things are never gonna be the same, are they?"

Sonic sighed. They both knew the answer, Ki just wanted to hear it from him. "No." They walked a little farther, with no real game plan, but heading in the general direction of the front door. Suddenly Ki stopped, pulling away from him.

"Ki? What is it?"

She turned to run across the entrance hall to the corridor on the other side. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Sonic chased after her, following her into the bathroom. She only just made it to the toilet before she doubled over, retching. Sonic pulled her dreadlocks out of her face.

"Easy, baby, easy... calm down... It's all right, baby, it's okay... everything's gonna be fine... calm down..." Ki sunk to her knees, and Sonic followed, holding her quills out of the way and rubbing her back. "Ki, it's all right... shhh..."

After what felt like an eternity to both of them, the convulsions passed, and Ki collapsed, leaning on the cold porcelain and crying quietly.

"Why Sonic? Why is he doing this? Does he think it's not already hard enough?"

"...I thought you said you wanted the baby."

"I do, Sonic, I do, but I'm still scared... I just... Why couldn't this have happened a few years from now? Nobody would be freaking out if we were eighteen..." She shifted positions and leaned back against him. "...My stomach hurts..."

"I-is the baby all right?"

"I think so, yeah... just indigestion, I guess, from getting so upset... the baby's fine... I wanna go back to bed, Sonniku..."

"I don't think that's a half-bad idea. Come on..." He helped her to her feet and, after allowing her to wash her face and rinse out her mouth, picked her up altogether.

"Sonic, I can walk..."

"Don't be dumb. You're having trouble just standing up. You'd never make it all the way up the staircase. Even if you did, it'd take forever. Besides, you don't weigh much. Just, y'know, relax and enjoy the ride."

She sighed. "Fine, you win. I'm too tired to argue."

"That's what I thought." He carried her upstairs and laid her in bed, helping her take off her shoes and pulling the sheets over her.

"Gee, Sonic, if this is any indication, you're gonna be a–" she yawned "–a great daddy."

He lay down next to her. "I hope so. I know you'll be a great mommy."

"I don't-" she yawned again "–darn it, I can't stop yawning. I don't care what Grandpa says. We'll be fine."

"That a girl. Now go to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Yeah, you're probably right. ...Sonic, if you feel like going for a run or something, go ahead. I don't want you to go stir crazy or anything."

"Nah, I'd rather stay here with you. I'll go for a run later."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"M'kay... 'Night."

"'Night. Both of you."

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	9. Chapter 8, A Temper Lost

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary: **Sonic isn't as docile as he seems.

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**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter VIII: A Temper Lost  
**

Sonic lay still for some time, stroking Ki's arm and listening as her breathing evened out into sleep.

He was angry.

Very, very angry.

He had trusted Ki's grandfather, had even considered him a friend. But how could he trust someone who would willingly upset Ki as Chuck had, especially while knowing that she was carrying Sonic's child?

Sure, he had a right to be angry. He even had a right to yell at Sonic, if it would make him feel better. But he didn't have a right to upset Ki. And if Ki was upset, that could hurt the baby, couldn't it?

So, Chuck was knowingly hurting Sonic's baby.

He wouldn't do it again. One way or another, Sonic would make sure of that.

_No one was going to hurt his family._

Hours later, after her nap, and after Sonic had taken off – promising to be back in about an hour – Ki made her way back downstairs, toward the kitchen. She was hungry, and it had hit her suddenly that she couldn't afford to skip meals anymore. Her baby depended on her for nutrition, and if she didn't eat, she would be depriving her helpless child of sustenance.

Ki quickened her pace and, upon entering the kitchen, went straight for the refrigerator. She helped herself to some leftover chicken and yellow rice from the night before and ate it cold. By the time she had polished off the meal, she felt much better: she wasn't hungry and she no longer felt guilty about not eating.

She wandered out into the living room, grabbing the remote control and turning on the huge TV as she made herself comfortable on the couch. She channel-surfed for a while, then finally gave up and settled on a cartoon. She'd only been watching for a few minutes, however, when she was interrupted by her grandfather. Snapping off the TV, she sat up.

"Gonna yell some more?"

Charles Thorndyke sighed and sat down next to his granddaughter. "No, I'm not going to yell. But I _do_ want to talk to you."

Ki eyed him suspiciously. "What's there to talk about? You hate my mate and you clearly don't want anything to do with my baby. And if you don't want anything to do with them, then I don't want anything to do with you."

"Ki, I don't hate anyone. I think you and Sonic were very irresponsible and you made a very big mistake." Kianna narrowed her eyes and pretended to be interested in the design of the remote control. "I think you let Sonic talk you into doing something that neither of you were ready to do—"

"I _told_ you, Sonic didn't _talk_ me into _anything_!"

"I find it hard to believe that the Kianna Thorndyke I know would do something like this. The Kianna Thorndyke I know is far more responsible."

"Oh, so I'm responsible, but I'm not responsible enough to have an intimate relationship with someone?"

"You're fifteen years old, Ki."

"Aren't you the one who always says, 'Age is a state of mind'? You of all people should understand. I mean, you don't exactly act like the typical fifty-five year old, you know."

"The way _I_ act is beside the point, young lady."

"I'm sorry, did you _have _a point, or were you just going to keep bitching at me?"

"You watch your mouth, girl."

"Then stop talking down to me. I'm not a child."

"But you _are_ a child! That's the problem! You're still a baby, and babies aren't supposed to have babies of their own!"

"I thought you weren't going to yell."

"I-bu- You keep your mouth shut and listen to me!"

Ki glared at him. At the same time, in the back of her mind, she marveled at how calm she was – she was completely in control. So far.

"Ki, sweetheart, this isn't healthy. You're throwing away your life! You're still a kid – let yourself enjoy it!"

"You're the only one who thinks I'm throwing away my life. And anyway, exactly how, pray tell, am I supposed to return to childhood? What's done is done. Or do you have a time machine tucked somewhere in that lab of yours?"

"Ki... I just... As long as you're living here, I just don't think you need to have this baby."

Ki stared at him. "What are you saying?" He looked away.

"I think it would be best... if you... if you terminated the pregnancy."

Ki felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. For a terrifying moment, she even forgot how to breathe. She finally managed a gasp of oxygen, and started shaking her head in disbelief.

"S-so what are y-you saying? I c-can either m-move out when I don't even have anyplace else to go, or... or..." She whispered the end of her question, unable to speak the words at full volume. "_O-or murder my baby?_"

Chuck looked up at her sadly, shaking his head. "It's not murder, Ki. It's not alive; it doesn't even have a heartbeat yet."

"H-heart— B-but th-that doesn't mean anything! It's still a baby! It's still _my_ baby!" She stood up and backed away from him, toward the doorway that led into the entry hall. "No, I won't do it! I _want_ my baby! I _won't_ do it! You can't make me! I'm not a murderer!!" She turned to run out of the room, but found herself enveloped in blue and peach fur – Sonic was back.

"Ki? What is it? What do you mean you're not a murderer? What are you talking about?" He looked up and spotted Chuck, then narrowed his eyes. "What did he say to you, Ki? What did he do this time? Ki? Answer me, Ki!" The golden-furred echidna clutched her lover and sobbed into his chest.

"H-he... He gave me an u-ultimatum..."

"What is it, Ki? Tell me, baby. What'd that son of a bitch say to you?" Sonic vaguely noted that the human had begun yelling at him, but he was far more concerned with what his mate had to say. "Baby, answer me."

"He b-basically said... said that..."

"...It's okay, you can tell me, Ki."

"I—he... He b-basically said that if I-I wanted to keep living here th-that I'd h-have to g-get... get an... an..."

"A what?" He looked past her at the human. "What the hell did you say to her??"

Ki tightened her grip on the hedgehog and choked out the last word of her sentence. "A-abortion..." She felt Sonic stiffen. "He wants me to have an abortion..."

"..._What_?"

"H-he wants me to t-terminate the pregnancy, Sonic... he wants us to kill the baby!"

"I _know_ what an abortion is, Ki." She caught a haunted tone to his voice as he spoke. "_Believe_ me, I _know_." Sonic looked back at the human with disgust, feeling his blood begin to boil. He growled, his fur and quills standing on end, his lips drawing back in a snarl. "How could you even suggest—when you _know_ that we both want this baby—do you have any idea how many females _die_ from attempted abortions? Have you ever _seen_ what the _female _goes through? Have you ever _seen _what an aborted _baby_ _looks_ like?? _HAVE YOU?? _Do you want _your own granddaughter_ to risk her LIFE to _murder_ my child? _DO YOU REALLY HATE ME THAT MUCH??" _He pried himself loose of the sobbing mess his love had become and stalked toward the older man. "_ANSWER ME,HUMAN!!!_"

Chuck backed up in alarm; Kianna recoiled against the door frame, watching the father of her child go from zero to lethal in mere seconds. She'd never seen him truly angry before – it was a frightening sight.

Sonic was burning with rage beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Chuck had pushed him too far this time. Way too far. To even begin to suggest—and threaten to kick her – and certainly him and their child as well – out into the street—

Hands curled into tight fists, Sonic approached the human, who continued to back up until he hit a wall.

The old man was afraid of him. Good. Sonic came to a stop a few feet before the scientist, glaring up at him and silently daring him to move. It was all the hedgehog could do to keep from spin-dashing through the man's chest. Wisely, Chuck stayed where he was. Sonic growled, loudly, making his displeasure that much clearer. Somehow, he managed to form words.

"How _dare_ you. How _dare_ you upset the mother of my child. How _dare_ you threaten her and try to force her to risk her own life to take the life of our child! I never imagined you could sink so low, Charles. I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, if only because you had no warning of this. But you have _no_ right to upset Ki. I let you get away with this morning, because I figured you just needed some time to cool off. But no, you had to keep pushing. You upset her again. And to even _suggest _an abortion... Is it that hard for you to remember that we _aren't_ humans? Maybe there's no risk for human females when they have abortions – I wouldn't know. But I _do_ know that it's dangerous for Mobian females. I've seen it with my own eyes, and I absolutely will _not_ allow my mate and my child to suffer like that. You don't have a say in this pregnancy, Charles. It's not your problem. As my mate, Ki is _my_ responsibility now." Sonic pointed a forefinger at Chuck's face. "And understand this, _human_: If you ever, _ever_, _EVER _upset her again, especially while she's carrying _my child_, I _will_ put a stop to it, one way or another. You get me, Charles?"

For a long moment, the stunned human's jaw worked silently. He hated himself for allowing himself to be talked to like this by a child, and he took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. "H-how dare _I_? How dare _you_ talk to me this way in my own home! Who the hell do you think you are, boy? You're only a child! You're not _ready _to take care of a baby and a ma–_wife_ yet."

"_DAMN IT_, CHUCK, YOU JUST DON'T GET IT, DO YOU??" Reflexively, Sonic drew back a fist. Ki shrieked when she realized what was about to happen.

"Sonic, NO! Don't hurt him! He just doesn't understand! He _can't _understand. Not really. He's only human! P-please, Sonic... He's only human..."

Sonic's expression softened at the sound of his frightened mate's voice, and he lowered his arm. Chuck sighed in relief, and as if that had been his cue, the hedgehog's rage suddenly boiled over. Grabbing a nearby floor lamp and ripping the cord out of the wall, he hurled it, pole, shade, cord and all, towards the older man. Charles Thorndyke froze in horror as the scene seemed to slow down. The lamp came toward him, the paper shade struck the wall, centimeters from his face, and disintegrated, the bulb popped and shattered, and the brass rod drove an impossible distance into the drywall. When everything stopped moving and the passage of time returned to normal, Chuck stared at the lamp – or rather, the foot or so of it he could still see on this side of the wall.

_'My God, that could have been my head...'_ Sudden movement nearby pulled his attention back to his assailant – Ki had run to Sonic and was clutching him and crying. The boy himself was slowly coming back to earth, and he wrapped his arms around Ki tenderly. Chuck could swear there were tears forming in Sonic's eyes.

Mr. Tanaka suddenly appeared through the dining room door, skidding to a stop a foot or so into the room and gaping at the new hole in the wall. The lamp had been driven clear through to the other side; light could be seen through the breach. Tanaka approached Charles, lowering his glasses slightly to get a better look at the devastation.

"...Master Chuck? Are you all right?" He glanced down at the tearful teenagers, then looked back at Chuck. "How did this happen?"

Sonic spoke up, his voice sounding choked. "Sorry, Tanaka. I-I'll help fix it." With a start, Charles Thorndyke realized that he had been right, Sonic _was _crying.

Tanaka's jaw dropped for a brief moment, but then he remembered himself and closed his mouth. He knew Sonic was strong, but he couldn't imagine what had provoked the normally good-tempered hero to do such a thing. He looked questioningly at Chuck, whose face was finally starting to regain some of its color.

"I-I'll explain later, Tanaka. Ki..." The echidna looked up at him, her eyes red. When she spoke, her tone was hurt and hateful.

"What?"

Chuck spoke softly, fearful of setting off Sonic's sudden short temper again. "A-are you sure you'll be okay with him?"

Sonic answered before she could, though his voice was muffled by her dreadlocks. "I would never hurt Ki. Never. ...I won't let them hurt our baby, Ki... I swear to you... No one's going to hurt our baby..."

Chuck looked slightly dubious. "You're certain you'll be all right?"

"Sonic was only angry in _defense_ of me and the baby."

"Well, perhaps, but—" She cut him off sharply.

"Go away."

"...a-all right."

Chuck motioned to Tanaka and the two left the room. As soon as they were out of sight, Sonic scooped Ki up and dashed up the stairs and into her – or rather, now, 'their' – room, and closed and locked the door. After gently setting Ki down on the bed, he crawled up himself, curling up beside her.

"I'm sorry, Ki..."

"It's not your fault."

"I-I've never really lost my temper like that before. He just... I wanted to... to punish him... for hurting you."

"I know, Sonic. Thank you for not hurting _him_."

"It's a good thing you were there. I-I... I don't want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't been there to stop me..." Sonic's voice cracked, and Ki put her arms around him. He hugged her back, and they comforted each other through their tears until late in the afternoon.

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	10. Chapter 9, Mates For Life

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2007 to Hamato Kameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary: **Will things ever cool off in the Thorndyke household?

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**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter IX: Mates for Life  
**

Ki lay on her back, smiling and relaxed for the first time since the fight with her grandfather. Sonic lay on her legs, semi-straddling her, his head resting gently on her belly. One of his paws stroked her belly, the other wrapped around her own hand. 

"I wonder if it's a boy or a girl. What do you want?"

Ki giggled quietly. "I _want_ a baby."

Sonic snorted and looked up at her, all grins. "You know what I mean. You want a little girl or a little boy?"

She thought for a moment. "I dunno."

"No idea at all?"

"Well, a little girl could be fun, I mean, shopping and wrapping each other's dreadlocks, playing dress-up, all the little girl stuff... Although come to think of it, I could really do that with a boy, too. And if he ends up anything like you, I definitely couldn't ask for more."

"Just so long as you don't turn him into a girly-guy."

"...A 'girly-guy'?"

"Yeah, you know, one of those guys who's totally obsessed with their appearance, can't go a week without shopping, that sort of thing. Amy with a penis, basically."

They both sniggered at that mental image.

"M-Metrosexual, you mean?"

"Hey, I'll support him either way he, y'know, swings."

Ki burst into giggles. "S-Sonic!! I said 'Metrosexual', not 'Homosexual'! M-E-T-R-O!" Sonic's face started to turn red.

"Oh… Well... well, what the hell is 'Metrosexual'?"

"It's what _you_ call a girly-guy. Gee, Sonic, I thought you were up on all the latest slang."

"Hey, gimme a break, I've been busy lately!"

"Uh-_huh_, excuses, excuses..."

"Ah, shaddup." He stuck his tongue out at her, and then put it to better use by licking her belly.

"H-hey, that tickles!"

"Oh, quit complaining. You like it."

She didn't bother to argue – she would have been lying, anyway. She sighed, then brought her free arm up and tucked it carefully under her pillow, propping her head up so she could see her lover more easily.

"So... What do _you_ want?"

He paused his licking for a moment and thought. Finally, he shrugged. "I dunno either. I know I'll be happy either way." He turned his attention back to her belly.

Ki smiled and closed her eyes. "Yeah, me too. Hmm..." She sighed. "That feels good, Sonniku."

He spoke into her fur, between licks. "That was the – will you stop _calling_ me that? – that was the general idea. ...Ki, listen... I don't want you to worry about your Grandpa, all right? The baby's more important. And I'll make sure you're both taken care of. Everything'll be cool. We'll be fine. I promise."

Ki looked down at him, feeling tears sting her eyes yet again. "I love you, Sonic. I love you so much, and I know you'll take care of us... I just don't want to lose my relationship with Grandpa. A-and if we can't live here, or even visit, then I might lose my relationships with Chris, and Ella, and Tanaka..." She sobbed. "I know we have to move out eventually, but I'm not ready to leave them yet, Sonic..."

Sonic scooted up until his face was even with hers, kissing her gently before reassuring, "It'll be okay, Ki. If Chuck doesn't chill out, we'll just find another way to spend time with everybody. We'll be all right, I promise. Okay? ...Ki, okay?"

She nodded feebly and slid her arms around his back. "...Okay..."

Sonic leaned down against her, careful to support his own weight and not put pressure on Ki's belly, and kissed her, deeply, until he drew a moan of desire from her throat. Then he relented and pulled away slightly, and Ki scowled at him. Or at least, she tried to scowl at him - she was smiling at the same time.

"No fair..."

"What's not fair? It was a good kiss, wasn't it? It must of been or you wouldn't have reacted like that."

"Yeah, but now I really want you, and we can't..." She sighed.

"Heh, in other words, don't tease you if I can't please you?"

She grinned. "Exactly."

He shot her a sly grin and pushed himself up until he was sitting on her knees. Tugging off his gloves, he started toying with the fly of her jeans.

"I may not be able to" –he winked– "ful-_fill _you, maybe, but, uh, but that doesn't mean there aren't other options..." He growled when the zipper stuck for a moment. "I wish you'd stop wearing these things."

"Hey. I already go shirtless half the time. But ain't _nobody_ gonna get me to give up my blue jeans. That's almost like asking me to give up my hat. Ow!! Watch it! You pulled my fur!"

"Sorry, sorry. Zipper's unstuck."

"Zipper's unstuck and I'm missing a square centimeter of fur..."

"It was only a few hairs, you wuss. You can't even tell anything got pulled out."

Ki tried to sit up to look, but found Sonic's un-gloved paw pushing her back down against the pillows.

"Behave yourself."

"Sooonic... Not now... Oh, come on, it's almost dinnertime; somebody will be up here to get us soon..."

He tugged at the waist of her jeans, pulling them down.

"So-_nic_"

"You're so cute when you're frustrated."

"Oh, bite me. No! WaitIwaskidd–_YAI!!_"

Sonic growled, holding on to her neck with his teeth just tightly enough to keep her from struggling.

"Nng... Sonic... Leggo... you're gonna leave a bruise... again..."

"Nuhn NI nohgnt..."

"Yes, you _are_... Y'know, it'd be easier to talk if your mouth wasn't full of my fur."

"Nuhngt Unk."

"I don't wanna shut up. I wanna go down to dinner."

"Nnk gind nankt."

"No, it can't wait. It'll get cold, and anyway, I'm hungry."

He just growled at that. She growled back at him, and he tightened his grip ever-so-slightly in response.

"Ow-ow-ow! All right, I'm sorry, ok? Leggo! ...please? ..._Soooon_-iiiiic..."

Both jumped at the sound of Chuck's voice on the other side of the door.

"Ki? Are you ok? What's going on in there? Is he hurting you??"

Ki sighed. Of course, he wasn't hurting her. Well, at least, it hurt, but it wasn't out of malice. She actually _enjoyed_ this. Sort of. It was hard to explain. And there was no way she was even going to _try_ to explain it to her grandfather. It was none of his business, anyway.

She turned her eyes as far toward the door as she could manage without actually moving her head, and sighed again. Sonic was showing no signs of letting go, despite Chuck's demands for an explanation. Meanwhile, his paws were exploring her sides, and Ki could only imagine her grandfather's reaction when they finally got to their destination.

"_Sonic, stop!_" She hissed, just loudly enough for him to hear. And then she yelped as his grip tightened again. There was definitely going to be a bruise now. A small one, but definitely a bruise. "_Sonic, Grandpa's right outside the door!!_"

"Gnoh?"

"_So?? Whaddya mean 'So'??"_

"Kianna! Answer me, young lady!!"

"I-I'm fine Grandp-Ouch! _Damn it, Sonic, let go!!_"

"What's going on in there? Open this door right now!!"

"We're _fine_, Grandpa! Go away!"

"What's going on in there? If you're so much as touching her I'll—!!" Sonic finally let go and turned his head toward the door, cutting the older man off.

"WHAT WE DO IN OUR BEDROOM IS NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!"

Ki gasped at her lover's outburst. "Sonic! Calm down, it's okay! He's just worried about me!" Sonic hardly noticed her, and Chuck seemed unfazed.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"NO!!"

Upon hearing this, Chuck could be heard running back down the hall, shouting for Tanaka to bring his master key – the key that opened every door in the house, aside from Chuck's lab.

Sonic looked back down at Ki, and she could tell from his expression that, now more than ever, he had no intention of going down to dinner before he was finished with her.

"S-Sonic, please, I know you've got your pride, but I don't want them to come in here while we're—_AH!_ Sonic... Sonic, not now, they'll see–_unh_... Sooonic... O-Oh, _God_..."

Sonic grinned as she stopped resisting and submitted to him. But God, he wanted more. If only he'd known before that he'd have to hold back now... But he could stand it. He was strong.

He hoped.

He could hear Chuck running back down the hall, and two other pairs of feet were following. One pair was wearing hard-soled shoes – Tanaka. The other pair moved slower, more heavily – had to be Ella. He growled and kept one ear swiveled toward the door as he turned the rest of his attention back to the echidna whimpering and moaning beneath him.

In the hallway, Chuck, Tanaka, and Ella were having a not-so-civil argument over the master key and the fact that Chuck wanted to open the door. Ella and Tanaka were appalled at the very idea.

"Chuck-sama, they have a right to privacy. I refuse to open the door."

"Sonic is a good boy, Charles! He would never hurt Kianna – he loves her!"

"That boy is nothing but trouble, Ella! I want him away from my granddaughter and out of this house!"

"I believe that matter is up to Norman-sama, as he is the head of this household."

"That's right, and I know Mrs. Lindsay would never let you throw them out into the street! How can you be so heartless?"

"I'm not being heartless! What has _happened_ to this world? Ki is SIXTEEN years old! Sonic is only FIFTEEN! They're just babies! How can you people defend them!?"

"The world has changed since you were a child, Charles. It's changed since _I_ was a child, for that matter. And they aren't _from_ this world! They're not _like_ us!"

"What are you TALKING about, Ella?? Kianna was born and raised on _this_ planet, with proper morals and values! The fact that she's changed species doesn't change _that_! That primitive, sick little bastard has _ruined_ her future!"

"CHARLES THORNDYKE!! How can you _talk_ about him that way? Sonic is a sweet, intelligent, caring, and brave boy, and you know it! If it weren't for him, you'd be _DEAD_!!We all would!!"

"Chuck-sama, please, you need time to calm down. Maybe you should go visit your son for a few days, hmm? Give yourself a chance to think about things?"

"Norman! By God, with all this chaos I completely forgot to call them! He—"

Charles was interrupted by a single, loud cry from the opposite side of the door. Snatching the master key from Tanaka before the man even knew what hit him, he thrust it violently into the lock and threw open the door, not stopping to think about what he might find on the other side of it.

Sonic was moving long before the door opened. Grabbing the quilt from where it lay folded back at the foot of the bed, he yanked it sharply over Ki and himself, in the same move taking up a position on the bed between her and the door. He lay next to her, his head turned toward the door, waiting for what – to him – felt like an eternity. In reality, it was only a precious few seconds.

The quilt hadn't even completely settled before the door flew open, banging loudly against and knocking over the plant stand that stood next to the doorway.

Chuck stopped in the center of the room and stared at the scene before him, in shock. Sonic lay on the near side of the bed, glaring dangerously at him, one arm – Chuck noted that his glove was missing, which was a strange site – tucked behind Ki's head. Kianna herself lay, panting heavily, her eyes unfocused, her gaze trailing off to some invisible point near the ceiling. She didn't seem to be entirely aware that anyone else had even entered the room. Or at least, if she was aware that someone had intruded, she didn't yet care.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had transpired only seconds before.

Chuck felt his face growing red – but instead of anger, this time, the blood rush was from embarrassment. His shoes became glued to the carpet, his throat went dry, and he could think of absolutely nothing to say. So he continued to stare, stunned.

Meanwhile, the family's maid and butler hovered in the doorway, torn between wanting to retrieve the brazen old man in the center of the room, and not wanting to intrude themselves. Ella had never been so angry at the eldest Thorndyke. Charles had always been a playful, youthful man, always respectful of other people's space and privacy. Now, it was as if he'd been abducted by aliens and replaced by some automaton in dire need of anger management classes. She glanced at Tanaka – his usually unreadable expression seemed to mirror what she was thinking.

It was definitely time to give Lindsay and Norman the news of the soon-to-be new addition to the family.

Sonic glowered at Charles, wanting to attack him, but knowing that Ki would never be able to forgive him if he did. He felt Ki stir at his side, her breaths slowing and evening out. She turned her head toward the intruder, resting her muzzle on her lover's shoulder, and squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment before opening them to glare angrily at her grandfather.

"Just what in fuckin' hell do you think you're doing in here?"

Chuck's slackened jaw twitched once or twice, as if trying to respond, but no words were formed.

"Have you lost your friggin' mind or what?"

Twitch.

"I _told_ you I was fine. I _told_ you to go away. This is _my_ bedroom; you have _no_ right to be in here."

Twitch. Blink. Twitch.

"Like I said this morning, Sonic and I – and our baby – are a family now. Whether you like it or not. You can't change that. And I'm not getting rid of the baby."

Twitch-twitch. Twitch.

Sonic spoke up. "And if you don't like it, Charles, we'll leave. I won't let you hurt my family anymore. And that includes barging in on us in intimate moments." The hedgehog's eyes narrowed until the whites of his eyes were completely hidden. "This is your last warning. If you want to continue to see your granddaughter, not to mention your great-grandchild, you'd better back the hell off. If you make her cry one more time... When Ki cries, it makes _me _hurt, and I _don't like hurting_. It's _over_, got it? Yes, I had sex with your granddaughter. Yeah, I'm the primitive_" _–he spoke his words carefully, making it clear that he'd heard the conversation in the hall– "_sick _little bastard that took away your little girl's virginity."

"Sonic—" Ki flinched, not understanding Sonic's last sentence, and hating it. The situation was nothing like that, and they all knew it.

"Wait." Sonic stopped her; he had a point to make. He continued, "And yeah, Ki's pregnant. We're going to have a baby. We're mates. For life. Case closed. Understand?"

Chuck managed a minute nod.

"Good. Now get out."

Chuck nodded again, but he couldn't seem to move his feet.

"NOW!" Sonic snapped. Chuck spun and bolted from the room, pushing past Ella and Tanaka on the way. Tanaka followed the fleeing older man, while Ella peered shyly into the room, clearly not wanting to be there, but concerned for the children she loved as her own.

"Sonic? Ki, sweetheart, are you all right?"

Ki had started crying again, but she nodded as Sonic turned onto his side to face her. "Y-yeah, Ella, we're okay. I-I think it's gonna be all right now..."

"All right. I'll leave you two alone, then."

Sonic spoke up before the large woman could close the door, though he didn't turn back to look at her. "Ella, if it's not too much trouble, could we have our dinner up here? I think we've both had enough of Chuck for one day."

"Of course, sweetheart. It'll be ready in about twenty minutes." She got two quiet words of thanks before leaving the room.

As soon as dinner was over, Ella decided, she'd be making a phone call to Cypress City.

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	11. Chapter 10, An Important Conversation

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Ella calls Ki's Aunt to tell her the news.

**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter 10: An Important Conversation...**

Ella put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. She sighed as she dried her hands, trying to figure out just exactly how she was going to explain to Mrs. Lindsay that her niece was pregnant. With a frown, she retrieved the cordless phone and took a seat at the kitchen table, then dialed.

_Ring. Ring._

"_Hello?"_

"Miss Lindsay?"

_"Ella! Is something wrong? I was just on my way out to dinner—Is Chris sick? Is he hurt? Or Kianna—"_

"No-no-no! It's nothing like that, Miss Lindsay! It's just... I thought you should know..." Ella sighed.

_"What, Ella? What is it? Ella?"_

"Miss Lindsay... Ki's pregnant."

_Silence._

"...Miss? Are you still there?"

_"Y-yes, yes, Ella, I'm still here..." _Lindsay Fair chuckled nervously. _"Only I could have sworn you said that that Kianna's pregnant..."_

"That's what I said."

_"...Sonic?"_

"Yes."

_"...Oh, dear. Does Sonic know?"_

"Oh, yes, everyone in the house knows by now. Some are taking it better than others. Sonic's thrilled, and Ki's happy, but they're both a little scared. But Charles..."

_"I take it my father-in-law isn't taking the news well?"_

"He's furious. Oh, Miss Lindsay, you should have heard the things he said..."

_"Uh-oh. Like what?"_

"What I've heard is, he told Ki that if she wanted to keep living here, she'd have to give up the baby."

_"Why do I get the feeling he's not referring to adoption?"_

"No, ma'am. Ki was quite upset by it, but Sonic was worse. He threw a lamp through the living room wall."

_"A lamp? _Through_ the _wall_?"_

"Yes, ma'am. And later, Charles charged into their room and it wasn't exactly the... _best _time. Tanaka and I tried to stop him, but... I've never seen Ki look so hurt. That's why I'm calling; somebody has to do something before it gets worse. Ki and Sonic have accepted the pregnancy and are even happy about it, and they love each other so much... but I'm afraid that if Charles continues this behavior, Sonic is going to snap and seriously hurt him."

_ "Oh, now, I can't imagine Sonic ever actually hurting Charles. He's such a sweet boy."_

"I agree, but he's also very defensive of Ki and their baby. Something's changed in him, now that he's got a family of his own to defend. I don't know if it's... instinct, maybe, but I _do_ think he'll do whatever he has to to protect Ki and the baby. Tanaka and I have already tried to talk to Charles, but he won't listen. Maybe if you and Master Norman..."

"I understand, Ella. I'll call Norman tonight. We'll work this out."


	12. Chapter 11, It's Tiiiiiime!

**Disclaimer: **Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are titles are trademarks of Sonic Team/SEGA and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only.' Beyond All Odds' is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko. Ki The Echidna is © 2003-2011 to HamatoKameko.

**Rating:** R (L, AC)

**Chapter Summary:** Someone's a little ahead of schedule!

**Author's Note:** Holy smokes, an update? It's only been EIGHT YEARS since I started this story! That's really hard to believe, but my own disclaimer information proves it. Proof that it's never too late to update, I suppose!

Anyway, I'll keep this short and sweet. I no longer care for this story. Bits and pieces are a guilty pleasure I suppose, but mostly, I really don't like it. I'm really finishing it for my readers, who have certainly waited long enough for resolution, using bits and pieces I've written as many as four and five years ago. I'm sorry, to those of you who enjoyed this story, that I didn't do this sooner, but I struggled for years trying to "finish" this, I really did. At this point, with the story **no longer even canon** to Ki's storyline [see the story, "My Life: Anything But Ordinary"], I decided it was time to push through my more recent revisions to old chapters, publish what I have left, and be done with it.

So, here it is, the end of the tale entitled, "Beyond All Odds." This is for you, faithful readers.

* * *

**Beyond All Odds  
Chapter 11: It's Tiiiiiime...**

Ki groaned and rolled onto her other side, trying, in her half-sleep, to escape the discomfort that was attacking her. The pain passed, and she started to drift back to sleep, only to moan and curl up slightly as a second wave of pain rolled through her. She opened her eyes slightly and glanced up at Sonic; he was fast asleep, and snoring softly. Ki smiled as the pain again faded; Sonic was so cute, but even more so when he was asleep.

She snuggled against him, and Sonic woke up just enough to turn to face her, smiling and putting his arm around her. She closed her eyes again, happy and safe in the arms of her lover.

Things had been fairly okay around the house since Ki's aunt and uncle had had a long conversation with Chuck. Charles had, slowly, accepted the pregnancy and the fact that she and Sonic had a relationship that had gone a fair ways beyond just making out. Now they were preparing for the baby's arrival in a few months, though Ki's thoughts tended to be more on the much sooner arrival of the egg. Still, things were reasonably peaceful now, and despite the morning sickness she was content with life as it now was.

Ki was nearly asleep again when a third, stronger pain hit her. Her eyes shot open and she gasped as her tired mind finally grasped the meaning of the pains. Awoken more by the panic he sensed from his mate than by her alarmed yelp, Sonic sat up, wide-eyed, to find Ki curled up at his side, her arms around her belly, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Ki? Ki, baby, what is it? Are you— Oh, my God—_OH MY GOD!_"

Sonic's mind raced; he rarely panicked, but this was a situation that was enough to put him in that state of mind. What was worse, they were the only ones home; the rest of the family, including Tanaka and Ella, had gone out to the beach house for the weekend. Ki was close enough to laying the eggs that she didn't really want to travel (lest she go into labor in transit – the X Tornado –or even the back of the limo - was hardly the place for giving birth), and Sonic wasn't particularly fond of water anyway, so they'd opted to stay home. Ella had offered to stay with them, obviously feeling bad that the family was leaving them behind, but this was one of few actual vacations she and Tanaka got during the year – the family hired outside help to give the two a break – and Ki had insisted that the woman go and enjoy herself. It was a good opportunity for her and Sonic to have some alone time, as well, after all.

And Knuckles, though he'd been checking in on them with increasing frequency the farther along Ki's pregnancy became, was nowhere to be found.

It was just the two of them, alone, and Ki was in labor.

Oh, sweet mother of Mobius.

"Sonic, the egg—it's time!"

"Y-yeah, I f-figured... oh, _God!_" _Shit, what was it I told Ki that time she was hyperventilating? Breathe slower? Or was it breathe faster? Oh my GOD, I can't breathe!_

"Sonic, get a hold of yourself!" Ki frowned up at him as another wave of pain faded; the pains were quickly increasing in frequency. "I need you..." She trailed off, curling up more tightly as yet another contraction started.

_She needs you, stupid! She needs me... she needs me... Right._ The practiced calm that came from having spent most of his teen years saving the world _finally _kicked in, allowing him to think straight.

"O-Okay... I'm here, I'm cool. What can I do?"

"Just... just stay—" She moaned through another pain "—Stay with me."

"Of course, baby, I'm not going anywhere." Helpless and feeling useless, Sonic rubbed Ki's back and comforted her quietly, trying to keep her calm.

"S-Sonic, I-I don't know what to do! I-I— Oh my God, my baby's being born and _I_ _don't know what to do!_"

"Easy, Ki, easy; remember what Knuckles said: 'Follow your instincts.' "

"But—I-I can't! I don't— _Oh, God, Sonic!_"

"I'm here, baby..." Sonic took one of Ki's hands in his free one, cringing at her violent grip. He squeezed back, if only to keep his own paw from being crushed – literally. "It's gonna be all right, Ki. It's okay..."

"It_ hurts, _Sonic_..._"

"I know, I know, baby. We're gonna get through this, all right—Hey, what're you doin'?"

"I-I... I guess I-I'm... f-following m-my instincts..." She hauled herself to her knees, pausing halfway for another contraction. When it passed, she knelt on the mattress, gripping Sonic's paw and wrapping the other arm over her belly. She didn't fully understand why she wanted to get in this position, but it felt right and seemed to help, so she went with it. When the next contraction began, she curled up as much as she could without crushing her swollen belly...

...and absolutely _screamed_.

Ki screamed so loudly that Sonic jumped and flattened his ears against his head. She screamed loudly enough that she scared herself and her throat grew raw, but she simply couldn't help it. The pain was excruciating, and the outburst helped to relieve at least a little pressure, though it left her panting for air. At times, her screams were more like growls; guttural howls that were far more frightening to her own formerly human ears than any sound she'd ever uttered while making love to Sonic. Her tail seemed to take on a life of its own, by turns stiffening straight out behind her, and curling tightly between her legs, as if she couldn't decide what to do with it. She felt Sonic's hand on her back, stroking her fur, and while it didn't do a damned thing for the pain, it was at least comforting to know he was trying.

Several minutes—or was it hours? It was impossible to tell—later, Ki let go of her belly and gripped the mattress, her claws tearing through the tough material as if it were paper. Shifting her legs apart, she arched her back and bent her head down. When the next contraction came, and before she realized what she was doing, she bore down, the muscles in her body reflexively pushing the egg on its way. The volume of her cries increased with the pain, her body complaining as it was forced to accommodate the egg—which Ki was currently convinced was _at_ _least_ the size of a basketball.

As yet another contraction waned, Ki had a sudden moment of clarity that was just as confusing as it was illuminating. She sat up slightly, tugging on the hand that Sonic was still holding tightly.

"Sonic... let go..."

Sonic furrowed his eyebrows but complied. "Ki...?"

But he didn't receive a reply; Ki's attention was entirely on the task at hand. He almost smiled with relief as he watched her—instinct had finally taken total control, and the echidna was acting without thinking. It was a bizarre sight, though, and so unlike the way a hedgehog would give birth. He continued to rub her back, but he knew that was all he could really do—it was up to her, now.

Ki was still kneeling, but with her legs far apart. She'd reached between her thighs—she was going to deliver her own egg? She was panting frantically, then suddenly stopped, gritting her teeth and focusing all her strength at pushing the egg out. Then she was panting again, and sitting up, almost straight. Bringing her hands up, she barely gave what she held a glance before handing it to Sonic.

"Take it."

Sonic was startled into a slight panic. "Wh-what? B-But I c-can't—"

"_TAKE IT!_" She screamed, and Sonic immediately reached into her hands, terrified even to touch what was offered but not daring to disobey his mate in the barely-sane state she was in.

"...Wow..." He cradled the delicate, cream and brown speckled orb in his bare paws, holding it against his chest to keep it warm. It was wet, and a little bloody, but hardly the slippery, admittedly gross mess that a newborn hedgehog would have been. The shell wasn't anything like the bird eggs he'd seen—it was sort of leathery, and a little bumpy. Even more surprising was that the egg wasn't, in fact, egg shaped at all—it was a perfect sphere. And it was just... beautiful. He could have gazed at it all night, only Ki's excruciated screams forced him back to what was _happening._

And what was happening was... Ki was still in labor.

...still...

...in...

..._labor_...

"_WHAT?_"

If Ki heard his bewildered shriek—and it _was_ a _shriek—_she didn't respond. She again had her hands down between her legs, and if it hadn't been for the precious thing he now held, Sonic would have been convinced he had somehow traveled back in time about 90 seconds.

Why was she—but she had already—he was already holding—but then why—

"...K-Ki...?"

At long last, Ki stopped screaming, but she was still panting and moaning in a steady rhythm as the waning labor pains rolled through her. However, she stayed like this, resting her forehead on the bed, for only a few seconds before, very carefully, rolling over onto her side, exhausted.

Sonic could only stare in disbelief, as his mate now cradled a second, identical if slightly smaller, egg in her own paws. His jaw worked silently for a moment before managing words:

"Ki... Ki, baby... Th-there... There's two of them...!"

She smiled, licking her dry lips and drawing her legs up until she was partly curled up.

"Y-Yeah, I noticed... Don't let it get cold."

"Oh, I'm not, don't worry, I'm not... Better, uh, do your thing, though."

"I-I'm still working it out, actually... I'm afraid to do anything until the contractions stop... But... I think... Yeah..." She was talking more to herself than she was to Sonic. She first brought her hands up closer to her face, placing an oh-so-gentle kiss on the egg's speckled surface, then brought the egg down to her abdomen, which, in this position, and now that the eggs were laid, had taken on a decidedly strange, baggy appearance.

Closing her eyes and furrowing her brows in concentration, she found the opening of her pouch and, cringing as her own spikes pressed against her flesh, maneuvered the egg inside as if she'd never had a question about what she was supposed to do.

"...There now..." She cooed to the egg as she settled it into place. "...One down, one to go..." Opening her eyes, Ki reached out for second—or rather, the _first—_egg. Sonic gazed at it for one more, long moment, before carefully handing it to her. Smiling, she took the precious sphere and repeated the process of kissing the egg before tucking it gently into her pouch. It took her longer this time, as she had to arrange them _both_ to the best possible fit in the small space – and it clearly was a trick.

When she was finally done, she rolled onto her back, utterly exhausted, resting her paws on the outside of her pouch. Sonic reached over and pushed a dreadlock out of her face.

"You did it, baby. I'm so proud of you... Heck, you didn't even need my help."

She wearily opened her eyes to look at him, smiling and taking his hand in her own. "Yeah, I did. I couldn't have done it without you. You helped me stay calm, and you kept the first egg warm and safe when the second one needed my attention. I never could have handled it without you. ...I just can't believe..."

"Me, neither! I mean, who would've guessed—"

"One was a long shot, but _two_?"

"Exactly! Kinda weird that the doctor didn't see it, though..."

"I know, I don't get it. Well, I take that back—I _have_ heard of humans being surprised by twins even after sonograms told them they were having one, but... My God, we're having twins... Sonic, we're having twins! _Two babies!_"

Sonic laughed, half in shock and half overjoyed, scooting closer to her and putting an arm around her. "Yeah, I guess we are. Damn, when we beat the odds, we really _beat the odds_."

Ki chuckled and snuggled in against him. "I'll say. I guess I should go clean up... I mean, it's not anything like a live birth, but still... But I'm so tired..."

"Hey, you just take it easy, all right? No straining yourself. Wait 'till you've got the energy. No big deal; it's just us. And anyhow it's really not that big a mess."

"Okay—" She was interrupted by a knock at her bedroom door. They both tensed, wondering who it could be when no one else was home. Shushing Ki, Sonic turned his head toward the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's me."

Both let out sighs of relief as the Guardian of Angel Island—conveniently late—replied. Ki actually smirked.

"Better late than never, eh Knux?"

Startled, Knuckles didn't even bother to ask permission to enter. He opened the door and stared at them, wide-eyed, as the unknown, yet somehow _familiar_ scent reached him. Ki blushed, and Sonic quickly pulled the bed sheets over her. Knuckles, however, was too surprised to realize the invasion of privacy he'd just become guilty of.

"Y-Y-You—"

"Don't hurt yourself, Red."

"Sonic, be nice."  
"I'm only kidding with him, Ki."

"The egg? But—you weren't—you're not—"

"Due for almost another week, I know."

"Are you okay? I mean, and the egg—"

Sonic grinned. "She's fine, Knuckles. The eggs are fine. Both of them."

Knuckles stared at them, uncomprehending.

"Yo, Knuckles, anybody home?"

"Did you say... _both of them_?"

"Yeeeaaah..." Ki giggled. "You're quick today, Knuxie."

"You've got _twins_? You're not just screwing with me?"

"I'm always screwing with you, Red."

"Sonic..." Ki scolded. Sonic shrugged sheepishly and tried again.

"Yes, Knuckles, twins. Two eggs. Both perfect, and both warm and safe and sound in Ki's pouch."

"And I'm exhausted," Ki added. Knuckles nodded slowly.

"As long as you're okay, then."

She smiled.

"Better than I've ever been."


End file.
